Re: sea ray to regal
If traded 2008 sea ray 240 sundeck with 100 hrs for 2007 regal 2700 with 50 hrs, would this be considered an upgrade? Would like to trade up to newer sport boat over time and wandering if this is a step up being 08 and 07 models. One difference is regal has 496 HO engine vs 350 mag on sea ray. Difference in price would be about 20000 more for the regal. Or would I need to go to newer year model also to really be upgrade?
Depends on what you mean by upgrade. A lot depends on how the boats were maintained. The regal is bigger and know doubt has more room but also has a bigger engine and will suck down a bunch more gas. If both motors were well maintained then no real difference between 50 or 100 hours as a well maintained i/o can go to 1000 - 2000 hours. Also how much heavier is the regal? going from a 350 mag to a 496 HO I believe you are only gaining about 80 more hp. Depending on the weight difference the regal may actually be slower than the sea ray. (if speed matters to you) Some people would also look at build quality in determining what is an upgrade and not just getting a bigger boat. Some of the factors that determine quality are:
To do an apples to apples comparison check the weight of the boats. Heavier is better. It is more solid, will last longer, give a smoother ride etc. Look at the wiring under the dash. The better brands are labeled and neatly bundled. Look at the rub rail (bumper strip going all the way around the boat) to see if it is perfectly straight all the way around. Do the screws match or are they uneven? Put your head against the back side of the boat and look down the length of the boat. Is the gel coat (paint) smooth and even or does it look like the side of an orange peel? Does the gel coat have a rich deep look to it or does it look shallow?
Walk around the boat and hit it with the side of your fist. You want to hear a solid "THUD" all over. If you hear a hollow sound anywhere that is a sign of a lessor made boat. Look at the fastening hardware used to hold the seats, engine hatch and cleats in place. Bigger, thicker, heavier duty and through bolted rather than just screwed in is better. How big are the cleats? Again bigger is better. Grab the top of the windshield and shake it. Is it good and solid or does it wobble. Is it held in place by plastic fasteners or quality stainless steel fasteners? Do the same with the steering wheel. Are the sides of the boat that support things like the throttle thin and chincy or thick and solid? Open the engine compartment and see how thick the stringers (cross members that the engine bolts onto) are. Thicker is better. The more fiberglass used to attach the stringers the better. These are just some of the little things that go into making one boat a better quality than another but trust me those little things add up fast both in the cost of the boat and how long it will last. Are the gauges double lensed (to prevent fogging up) made by VDO (same gauges used Mercedes, BMW and Porche) or are they a cheap no name brand that you would buy in wal mart?
Bottom line as it relates to quality. The better quality refinements that you can see are usually a pretty good indicator of the quality that you can't see but is there. Cheap things in a boat will rust out, fall apart, need to be replaced sooner etc. and end up costing you far more in the long run. I look at an upgrade as a combination of better quality and size in that order. The only thing that really matters though is after the survey and sea trial come back clean, which one do you feel more comfortable in. Upgrade is just a state of mind. Upgrade = will you enjoy the new boat more? Only you can answer that.
